If you are considering an Agile career, you want to know one thing: are companies actually hiring? Here is what the data and current job listings show, and how to position yourself for the roles that are open.
The big picture
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics groups Scrum Masters with project management specialists. For that group, it reports a median annual wage of $102,320 in May 2025 and projects employment to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations. It also projects about 76,500 openings each year, on average, over the decade.
Who is hiring right now
A September 2026 search on Glassdoor showed about 1,450 open Scrum Master listings in the United States. The employers that appeared most often fall into a few groups:
- Defense and government contractors, such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, L3Harris, RTX and Leidos. Large programs like these often use the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe).
- Healthcare organizations modernizing their technology.
- Financial services, including banks such as PNC.
- Staffing and consulting firms placing Scrum Masters on contract with their clients.
Listings clustered around defense hubs, such as Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs, and around major tech centers.
What employers ask for
The same requirements come up again and again in these listings:
- An Agile certification, such as CSM, PSM or SAFe Scrum Master (SSM).
- Experience with Jira or Azure DevOps.
- Coaching teams and driving continuous improvement.
- For government and defense work, familiarity with SAFe and, for some roles, the ability to obtain a security clearance.
Pay varies by level
Pay ranges widely by level, location and contract type. On Glassdoor, contract and entry-level listings showed roughly $39 to $75 per hour, and mid-level roles roughly $79,000 to $145,000 a year, with senior and specialized roles higher. Treat these as ranges from current listings, not guarantees.
How to position yourself
- Match the framework. If you are targeting large enterprises or government contractors, a SAFe certification lines up with how many of those organizations work.
- Show proof, not just a certificate. Employers want examples of facilitating, removing blockers and improving delivery. Practice these in realistic scenarios so you can describe them with confidence.
- Fix your LinkedIn. Recruiters search for titles and keywords. Your headline and About section should say clearly that you are an Agile professional.
- Consider neighboring roles. Product Owner, Agile Delivery Lead and Jira Administrator roles use many of the same skills and widen your options.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Project Management Specialists; Glassdoor, Scrum Master jobs in the United States (September 2026).
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